Bradley University Athletics

#21 Auburn Hangs On To Top Braves 2-1

Evansville Athletics

Box Score

Softball 2/26/2022 7:32:00 PM

Box Score AUBURN, Ala. – Senior Grace French turned in one of the best pitching performances of her career, limiting 21^st-ranked Auburn to just six hits, but Bradley Softball had a seventh-inning rally fall short as the Braves came up on the wrong end of a pitcher's duel in a 2-1 setback to the Tigers Saturday at the Plainsman Invite.

Bradley (6-7 overall) joined #3 UCLA as the only teams to hold Auburn to two or fewer runs this season with French and the Braves limiting an offense that entered the weekend 10^th nationally in runs per game to just two. Auburn (13-1 overall), which was hitting .343 on the season coming into the game, managed just six hits off French, who struck out two and walked one in the complete game effort.

Auburn opened the scoring in the bottom of the second after Lindsey Garcia led off the frame with a double and came around to score on a single by Aubrie Lisenby as the Tigers grabbed a 1-0 lead.

Auburn added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, with Makayla Packer delivering a one-out solo homer to give the Tigers a 2-0 edge.

Bradley had just three hits in the contest before finally getting to Auburn starter Maddie Penta in the seventh. A Tiger error to start the inning allowed Samantha Smith to reach base and a one-out single by Abbott Badgley gave the Braves a pair of base runners.

Freshman Addie Welsh cut the Auburn lead in half with a two-out single to center that drove home Smith and put the tying run at third. Shelby Lowe came on in relief of Penta, who struck out 15, to get a groundout and close out the 2-1 Auburn victory, however. Penta improved to 6-0 on the season with the win, while lowering her season ERA to 0.81.

Bradley finishes out play at the Plainsman Invite Sunday with a 9 a.m. rematch against Delaware State.

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